Interview With Cross-Carrying Evangelist Joel Crumpton

January 4th, 2009 by

How did you come to follow Jesus?

It was in 1978. I was a “party-boy”. I made a lot of money and drove an expensive car. One of my employees, who was a follower of Jesus Christ, began to pray for my salvation in secret. I began to think about my wicked lifestyle. I wondered what would happen to me if I should die in my sins. Then, one afternoon while alone in my office, the presence of God entered the room. I fell from my seat to the floor and put my face in the carpet. I screamed out that God might be merciful to me. I surrendered my life completely to him. Everything changed. I lost all desire for sin. I forgot that I smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day. The desire was gone. I had no longer any inclination to sin. I had been born of God.

How would you describe your ministry?

My ministry is to equip the Church to do the work of ministry. To train them to heal the sick through proclamation of the Kingdom of God. And open the eyes of those whose eyes have been blinded by the god of this age. To turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among those who have been set apart by faith in Jesus.

What evangelistic efforts are you involved in?

Currently, I am involved in street ministry. Healing ministry outside the church setting, and training believers to do the same. Prison ministry in over 12 prisons. Most of my ministry is done outside the 4 walls of a church building – out where the sinful and sick are.

Below is a video of you dragging a giant wooden cross through the downtown areas of large cities across North America, what was your purpose in doing this?

Few things grab people’s attention like a person carrying a 10 ft cross in Uptown Charlotte. It has a way of stirring curiosity in people and many will come up and ask why I do it. It makes it easy to talk about spiritual things. Whenever a sinner asks me why I’m carrying it, they are not surprised or offended when I talk about God or Jesus Christ or sin or Hell. I have seen many fall on their knees in surrender to God publicly after a few moments of conversation. No one can be neutral when it comes to the cross of Christ. The cross demands a response.

 

Could you share a story of someone on the street responding to the cross?

There have been so many. One night, when carrying the cross in Uptown Charlotte, a group of young college students approached and asked about the cross. We shared the truth concerning sin, righteousness and the Judgment to come. Conviction came upon them. We then shared with them concerning the cross of Christ and His resurrection from the dead. In a few moments, they all fell on their knees there on the sidewalk, with people walking by, and surrendered themselves to Christ. As we walked a little further, we passed by a bar. A group of young men ran to the window to see the cross. One of them came outside and began to ask questions. After a few minutes, his friends called him back inside, but not before we had a chance to pray with him and to urge him not to sleep until he had unconditionally surrendered himself to the Lord Jesus.

As we were returning to the truck, a young man came running up to us, asking about the cross. We stopped. He was astonished, saying that he had just been on the phone with someone for over 2 hours talking about God. I asked him why he did that. He said he had been searching for the way to God for years, but that something would always distract him. I told him that this time God was distracting him. That his search was over.

After taking him through the Law to awaken his conscience and allow the Holy Spirit to convict him, we talked with him of the sacrifice of God’s Son. This man burst into tears, fell on his knees and began to repent and confess his sinfulness. He was so overcome, he literally forgot where he was. He stayed there on his knees for quite sometime. When he came to himself, he looked up and said, “oh, I forgot where I was!” He then began to rejoice and hugged us several times. He kept pointing to the spot where he had been kneeling as he would say, “I left them right there! I left my sins right there!”

It was a holy moment, and one I will never forget.

What do you want believers to walk away with after watching the video and listening to the testimonies?

I greatly desire that believers will be inspired to a life of radical faith, audacity and daring boldness so that we can all see the glory of God manifested and for His Kingdom to come, and His will be done in earth as it is in Heaven.

How can people take part in these evangelistic efforts?

I can be reached via e-mail for joining me in ministry or support at thatjoelguy@gmail.com.

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